The Restless Dreamer
by Imagination-Ignites
Summary: Strange Dreams. Ominous Futures. In his stay at Camp Half Blood, Nico receives unexplainable nightmares. Fearing the worst, he turns to Will Solace for help. Leaving the safety of camp, only they can unlock the secrets of his dreams and the darkness ahead of them. (btw this occurs after Heroes of Olympus, but before The Hidden Oracle...)
1. Constellations

I woke with a start, hands clenching to the sides of the bunk. Sweating and shaking—I instinctively looked for Bianca, but felt that ever familiar sinking feeling, seeing she wasn't there. I sighed heavily; another nightmare this week. Then I remembered Will's calming smile, and I stood silently. Shivering as the covers fell off me; I shrugged on my leather jacket and shoes and padded out of the lonely cabin. My breath curled into the chilly air, as I ambled by the light of the crescent moon. I could feel someone staring at me, and I quickened my pace. Glancing nervously at the towering forest, I locked eyes with a form leaning comfortably against a tree. I faltered for a second when I realized Percy was lounging in the grass.

Quickly I averted his eyes and sped past him, and I swore I heard him mutter, "Not my type…"

I lost sight of him in the wavering shadows, and I wound my way toward Will's cabin. Silently, I concocted excuses to explain why I was visiting him in the dead of night, but I tossed them aside as they became more outlandish. I jumped as a soft, pale hand grasped mine, and I turned to meet eyes like spotlights. A voice whispered to me in the darkness as I approached Will's cabin door.

"Why Mr. DiAngelo it is late to be out," Will led me over to the edge of the verandah and sat.

Slowly, I sat next to him, and I felt heat rising to my face. I could feel his gentle gaze on me, but I kept my eyes locked on the stars. Why did I come here? I promised myself I would distance myself from others, but every time I was near Will, my walls tumbled down. As the silence stretched onward, I fidgeted and I began to regret my decision to come.

"I should leave you alone," I mumbled and stood.

"Nico, stay. Please," Will said softly as I began to walk back to my cabin.

"I'm sorry, you need to sleep."

"Nico, stay and watch the stars with me."

Turning around slowly, I looked back at Will, his eyes and posture begging me to stay. Tentatively, I returned to the verandah, plopping down next to Will.

The stars and moon poured their milky light across the grounds, and the night creatures hummed in the darkness.

Time froze as our foggy breath mingled in the air, and Will broke the silence by asking, "Sooooo. What did you want to talk about? And even more importantly, what's your favorite constellation?"


	2. Silent Opulence

I glanced over at Will, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Of course my personal favorite is... Um... Anyway, what keeps you up this beautiful night?" Will inquired.

I opened my mouth, but the words clogged in my throat.

"Hey, it's cool. I understand the lure of my fantastic verandah," Will traced the grain of the wood with his index finger.

I purposefully kept my eyes locked on the tree line, and sucked in an uneven breath, "I just needed... I had another bad dream."

I expected him to do what everyone else would do; gasp and ask what it was about, but he only looked into my eyes and kept silent.

"Can we go somewhere without a bunch of nosy teenagers?" I glanced nervously at the darkened windows of the Apollo cabin.

Without hesitation Will jumped to his feet and smiled down at me. Slowly, I stood and fiddled with the strings of my coat.

"I know the perfect place," Will grasped my hand firmly and shot away from the rings of cabins like an arrow from a bow.

Tripping to catch up with him, I jogged behind him as we ran towards the lake. Suddenly, Will halted and I lurched into his back. With a grunt we toppled to the ground, and Will profusely apologized, "I'm so sorry, I should have... Are you okay?" And added almost as an afterthought, "Also, we're here."

I blushed as I detangled myself from him, "Yes, I'm fine. Where are we?"

Brushing off the dirt, Will grinned down at me. He helped me to my feet and without thinking, he started patting the dust out of my jacket. I wriggled self-consciously, gazing at the silvery smooth lake.

He pretended not to notice my discomfort, and answered, "The Aphrodite's call it 'The Nest,' but I prefer 'Super Awesome Secret Base.'"

I grimaced in exasperation and gently pushed away his hand, "Really? Is this the only place you could think of?"

"Just wait and see how super awesome it is," Will grasped me around the shoulders and gestured to a slight dip in the ground by a willow tree.

I stumbled along beside Will, and sucked in a deep breath saturated with a rich earthy mist. Grinning, Will's eyes twinkled with a clever light, and he whispered to the roots of the tree.

"Voilà, 'Super Awesome Secret Base,'" Will pointed extravagantly to a widening crack in the trunk.

My mouth dropped as a hole formed in the trunk, revealing an interesting room.


	3. Secrets in the Nest

Will looked over at me and slyly smiled. Slowly, I turned to face him and attempted to speak, but all that escaped my mouth was a faint squeak.

"You like it then?" Will led me through the hole in the trunk to the secret room.

Gaudy and lacy—the sickly nature of the Aphrodite's cabin reared its pink and flowery glory. A brilliant shade of rose red covered the room's circular walls, and swirling designs plastered the area and hung from the ceilings. Frilly couches and armchairs dominated the room, and a large mahogany table covered in coke cans and wine glasses filled the remaining space. Clouds of toxic perfume and cologne clogged the air, and buried me under their noxious scents. In short, I wanted to claw my eyes out.

"Yup. It's great," I lied smoothly.

Swiftly, Will shoved makeup palettes and hair brushes off an overstuffed sofa, and plopped down, waiting for my story. I sat down next to him, and marshalled my thoughts. I recounted my dram, starting at the beginning.

"It started with a boy running down a cobblestone road. A shadow flooded the path behind him, and chased him. I only got a glimpse of his face; he looked exactly like me, but with blonde hair. I woke when … when Percy appeared and drowned him under a wave of water," I concluded with a stutter.

"But Percy is still here. He can't be killing blonde Nico's if he's at camp," Will mused, "Did you see any signs or landmarks?"

"A sign that read Westminster... I think," I ran my shaking fingers through my hair.

"The game's afoot then Watson!" Will knocked various glasses and cans to the ground as he jogged to the door.

"Where are you going?" I precariously tiptoed over the aftermath of Will's hurricane.

"To England of course."

"You want to leave camp just because of my stupid dream? We don't even know if it's real."

"I trust you."

"How in Olympus are we going to get to England, let alone find this boy?"

"If there's a Will, there's a way, and luckily, you already have a Will," He snickered as he left the suffocating room into the dawn light, "Let's go talk to my dad."


	4. Blessings from Apollo

Grudgingly, I followed Will back toward the looming forest shivering as the morning dew seeped through my shoes.

"Won't people see us?" I whispered.

"Hey, a little publicity never hurts," Will strode across the misty ground toward the forest.

"We're going to see Rachel, aren't we," I grimaced.

"She owes me a little favor, so she'll help us," Will leapt gracefully over a protruding tree root.

On our journey to Rachel's cave, I began to regret my decision to spill the beans to Will. I would never be able to face the camp again if we went traipsing off on a quest together. Why didn't I keep to myself, like I always had in the past? Why did my brain always take me around in circles? My mind dragged me endlessly, always returning to the same person, Will. Nervously, I glanced ahead to the back of Will's head. His hair shone in the dappled green light and his…

"Nico," I told myself, "Stop it."

"Pardon, but I couldn't quite hear that," a voice echoed from the shadows.

In unison, Will and I jumped in surprise. Gracefully, Apollo stepped out from behind a tree, a sparkling smile plastered on his face.

"Great to see you, my boys!" The sun god grinned, "So I hear you plan to go to London."

My face turned as red as a beet, and I averted my eyes to the rising sun.

"I love London," Apollo sighed, "The people there are so adorable."

Suddenly, Will's eyes sparkled mischievously, and he smiled at his father, "Hey, then why don't you show us how amazing it is?"

"If you wanted to leave camp you could have just said so. I would hate to stay here in this stuffy place all summer long," He mused.

With a long stride Apollo led us deeper into the forest until we reached a clearing. Dominating the space stood his shining sun chariot. Except, it was startlingly different than the last time I saw it.

"Do you like my new upgrades?" Apollo proudly patted a classic Mustang.

His chariot glimmered with a blinding shade of red gold, and lush leather seats fitted the elegant car. With a golden thread, a brilliant mini sun hung from the rear view mirror. I suspected that if I closed my eyes, I could still see the car's outline.

"Hop in boys, we'll get there before morning tea!" Apollo said.

Uncertainly, Will and I sat in the back seat, and I realized I was less than a foot away from him. I swore I heard Apollo chuckle from the driver's seat, and we jerkily flew into the sky. Unprepared for the sharp movement I crashed into Will's lap; my hands flailing until I clasped them around his shoulders.

"Sorry," I muttered, but Will only laughed heartily.

"We should make this a more routine thing," He whispered, and he put an arm around my shoulder.


	5. Through the Ocean Air

As the Mustang flew over camp half-blood, I allowed myself to revel at Will's touch. He held me in his arms without embarrassment or shame. Slowly, I breathed in his comforting scent; pine and medical supplies. His hair rippled in the breeze, and his lips were tilted in a carefree smile. My previous shame and anxiety slipped away into the ocean air, and we sailed onward farther away from Long Island Sound. Of course Apollo shattered the comforting silence, and sighed heavily.

"You know, I've always wondered how you puny little humans do it," he said, "No offense, but…"

I blocked out Apollo's dramatic speech, and turned to face Will.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

"Are we there yet?" I groaned.

"Unfortunately no, but we have valuable planning time."

"Okay, so how are we going to go about this? Are we even doing the right thing trying to save this kid? How are we going to be successful without a prophesy and without approval to leave camp?"

Will forestalled my avalanche of questions, and put a finger to his lips, "Woah, cool it worry wart! We don't need The Oracle…"

"Hello, god of prophesies in the front seat here! What am I, a wooden post?" Apollo interrupted.

I drew breath to protect my pride, but Will spoke hurriedly, "Okay then, enlighten us."

The god appeared to be in deep thought and he closed his eyes as if he were in a trance. For a moment I was concerned we would fly off course, but the Mustang seemed to know where it was going. After several minutes of intense concentration, Apollo's eyes snapped open and he looked at us through the rear view mirror.

"Don't suck," he said shortly.

I sighed in exasperation, "Anything else, O' wise one?"

"Well, remember that you're not the only ones who are searching for a kid."

"Who?"

No matter how I tried to coax Apollo into spilling this precious information, he would only ruffle his hair with his fingers.

"What a fat lot of good you are," I grunted.

Relaxing in my seat again, I watched the waves of the ocean meeting the horizon. The scent of salt assaulted my senses, and in reminded me of Percy. In the distance the cry of birds reminded me of his laugh, reminded me of his voice, reminded me of his smile. With a grimace, I attempted to halt the torrent of emotions. But the memories kept flowing; the first time I laid eyes on Percy and how my favorite cards had come to life. He was brave, he was dashing. Sometimes I could almost feel his lips against mine.

Will whistled softly, "You really weren't joking about morning tea."

I forced myself back to the present, squinting at the rapidly growing landmass.

"Um. Would you be cool jumping into the Thames?" Apollo asked.

"What can't scratch the paint job?" I smirked.

Apollo glared at me and suddenly the floor dropped out from under me, and I scratched at empty air. With an almighty KER-WOOSH, Will and I crashed into water. Spluttering, I coughed up grimy water, and looked for Will. He was already on a sidewalk, looking wet and surly. I pulled myself up beside him, and pushed my sopping hair out of my eyes.

"I think I left my stomach back in Apollo's car," he said.

"You and me both," I spat slimy muck onto the stone.

After cursing Apollo into the infinities, we took in our surroundings. A few people were obliviously walking in the narrow alleyway, and shadows still pervaded most of the street. A light breeze carried the faint sound of voices along with the stench of river water. Nearby, a door opened as a woman stepped out a door, ushering two children outside. With a frown the mother pushed the boys toward the end of the road where other children played soccer.

"Go on and play. Annoy someone else for once…" She paused as she caught sight of us.

As the boys left the street, the woman waddled up to us, taking in out soggy clothes.

"Have a tumble in the river?" She laughed, "Come on and let's get you two dry."

Though we attempted to protest the woman insistently pushed us towards her quaint flat.

"Stranger danger," Will hissed, "Stranger danger!"

And we stepped in the front door.


	6. Morning Tea Perhaps?

I don't know what I was expecting, a torture chamber or a dungeon, but _this_ was definitely not what I'd imagined. Vintage wallpaper plastered the walls and embroidering hung everywhere. I guess when a stranger leads you into their house; you've got to expect the worst. Glancing out of the corner of my eye, I saw Will's equally flabbergasted face and opened my mouth to say something.

"Some tea to warm you up maybe? Coffee?" She bustled around a quaint kitchen to the left, "Here, let me dry your…"

"No, no," Will interrupted, "Towels will suffice. I think."

He glanced over at me looking for reassurance. Though a little hurt the woman plopped two fluffy towels on the table, an invitation to sit. As I attempted to dry myself, I took a better look at this mysterious motherly figure. She was plum and her makeup looked as though she'd slathered on makeup in the dark. She wore a vivid blue tea dress with a grubby apron covered in coffee and flour. Sloppily, her hair tumbled over her shoulders, like a badger took up residence on her head, and brown eyes sparked above a warm smile. Although she was a little eccentric, the mother seemed human.

"You can call me Natalie," the woman bubbled, "I take care of those two… joys… you saw a little earlier. I sure do love them, but they are quiet a handful. You two are quiet, want to introduce yourselves?"

Natalie set mugs in front of us, and sat opposite Will. She rested her elbows on the table waiting for us to speak. Will, of course, talked first, "I'm, um, Will, and this is—"

"Arthur," I interrupted, "My name's Arnold—I mean Arthur."

Color rose to my cheeks, and I busied myself with drying my jacket. Good job Nico, I scolded myself, fantastic introduction. Shrilly, the coffee pot beeped; Natalie stood and spared me the continued embarrassment of social interaction.

"Really? Arthur?" Will whispered, "Are fake names really necessary?"

"Soup's on!" Natalie plopped a plate of cookies and sugar on the table while she poured coffee, "Cream's in the fridge if you want it."

"Thanks, "Will tentatively reached for the sugar bowl, "This is. Um. Smashing."

To my embarrassment, Will had attempted an accent, but ended up sounding more like a constipated grandfather. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Will draw breath to continue. Sharply, I kicked him in what I hoped had been his shin. Will winced and reached down under the table to nurse his injury. Natalie only laughed and took a sip of coffee.

"Not from around here, are you pet," She said, "I should have guessed that Apollo wouldn't give you a few pointers."

I nearly choked on my coffee, "You know Apollo?" Will and I asked in unison.

"Of course, doesn't every demigod?"

"But aren't you constantly surrounded by monsters?" Will stammered.

"Bah, I'm just a daughter of one of those obscure gods. I really don't attract that much attention, but I'm assuming you two fight tooth and nail against monsters," Natalie answered casually, "Normally, kids don't fall from the sky unless they're a demigod…"

"Thank the gods, I thought—"

"That I was a monster or summat? Sorry I freaked you out there."

"Yeah. I was worried we might not survive this quest," I again sharply kicked Will under the table.

Grinning at the pair of us, Natalie said, "Let me see here. Solemn, quiet… You must be a Hade's kid."

She pointed to me then shifted her gaze to Will, "Kind, almost too courteous… I'm gonna guess Apollo."

A crooked smile spread across Will's face, "Wow. Amazing," and he hurriedly added, "This is Nico by the way."

Before I could kick Will again, he'd grabbed my leg and continued to chat with Natalie. She directed her next comment towards me, "That's a nice name. My children—well I adopted them you see—they're named Liam and Noah. The fates smiled in my favor."

I could tell Natalie was about to start on a tangent, so I pushed away my near full mug and excused us, "We really must go on our way. Thanks!"

"Here!" She reached into an apron pocket," You might need some money."

"No, no, we'll be okay," Will protested.

"Please I insist. Do Olympus proud."

I took the money and we left the quaint apartment. Out in the alley we decided which way to go, and finally agreed to travel the same direction Noah, Liam and his friends went.

"You know we could've asked for directions," Will grumbled.

"You just wanted more coffee."

Will scowled, although a sparkle in his eyes made him look more like a playful toddler, "You know, that wasn't my shin you kicked back there…"


	7. Should've Asked For Directions

I thought I was competent in finding my way through mazes, but I soon realized I suck at directions. Every road and alley seemed to double back on itself, and we seemed to go in circles. I could her Will sighing and dragging his feet as we attempted to find our way. Before I could complain about Will's childish actions, we heard thundering footsteps approaching. Tensing I reached for my weapon, and a stampede of boys rounded the street corner. They kicked soccer balls, ran into multiple pedestrians, and created chaos. Before Will and I became demigod pancakes, we scrunched up against a building wall. As the group passed, I glimpsed the two boys Natalie had pushed out of her flat. Will also noticed the pair, and looked over at me with his infamous smile and raised eyebrow combo.

"The game's afoot Watson," Will smiled, and tailed the boys.

"Wait, why are we following these kids?" I yelled as I attempted to catch up with Will.

Rounding corners, we followed the stampede; praying that Will knew what he was doing. I caught up with Will and glanced at him, waiting for him to answer my question. However, he remained silent. Thanks Will. Yeah, let's go on a wild goose chase for no reason. But my anger vanished as I glimpsed his hair ruffle in the wind, and his legs and arms pumping to the rhythm of his running. Under his muddy t-shirt, I could see his muscles flexing and moving, his face set in a determined stare. I could only imagine how stupid I looked as I jogged, probably like a flailing penguin. A stupid idiot. A few minutes later the boys pulled to a stop in what looked like a miniature park. They clustered together and separated into teams. Picking their teammates, Liam and Noah pointed to boys until all the group was chosen for both teams. Will watched their every move carefully, and I leaned against a small tree catching my breath.

"Why exactly are we here?" I asked.

"Well… um, I thought we would be able to find out who Natalie's kids are."

"You think they're monsters," I said flatly, "We're looking for _the_ kid, remember?"

He merely grunted.

"Come on," I dragged him away, "Let's go get a hotel room or something. We reek of dead fish."

Will grabbed onto my arm and pointed to the boys' soccer game. Flaunting onto the grass, two large teens knocked over boys while guffawing stupidly. Will tensed as the giant youth wrestled the ball out of Liam's hands.

"Hey you sons of guns! You leave them alone," he yelled.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Will" I whispered.

Laughing some more, the lumbering duo continued to wreak havoc on the soccer game. With his boulder sized hands, one kicked their ball into a dark alleyway. Will was already near Liam and Noah, pushing against the tide of fleeing boys.

"You guys okay," Will assessed their injuries and pulled them away from the lumbering teens.

Before he could take a step, one of the bullies kicked him in the guy. With a _Whoosh_ , Will crashed on his back, gasping for air.

"The little baby's not so high and mighty now," the bully casually popped a cigarette in his mouth.

Shaking with fury, I impulsively ran towards Will. With the cigarette in his mouth, the bully raised his fist, aiming for Will's head. I could not—would not—allow more bloodshed because of me. Bianca was my everything, but she got hurt. Will is becoming my everything, but he _will not_ get hurt.

Thinking of nothing else to do, I leapt on Mr. Cigarette, and punched him on the temple. He staggered back, and I dragged Will to his feet and ran back to Liam and Noah. They stood with their mouths agape, and unblinking eyes.

"We should probably skedaddle," I grabbed Will's hand, hearing heavy breathing behind us.

Scrambling ahead, the two youths led the way out of the small green. Mr. Cigarette yelled insults and threats at our backs, but I ignored him. I preoccupied myself with my hasty actions back in the park. I had jumped into danger without even questioning the consequences. In that moment, I had realized that Will wasn't only a doctor, he wasn't only a friend; he was my joy. If it weren't for his kind grace after the battle with Gaea, I was sure I would have been lost and lonely. I needed him.

Still holding my hand, Will talked with Liam and Noah, "We'll take you back to your mom. Are you sure you guys are okay?"

"We don't need help from gay basta—" one I assumed was Liam said until he caught my eye and snapped his mouth shut.

"Um. Well," Will stuttered, "We owe your mom, so it's the least we can to do make sure you get home safely."

"Fine," the boys echoed in unison.

A forced smile broke out on Will's face, "Fantastic. My name is Will, and this is Nico."

Despite Will's bubbly personality, the boys refused to engage in conversation, except to complain how much they missed their new soccer ball. Pouting and sighing—they walked through the crowded streets, with us following behind. Several minutes later we arrived at Natalie's apartment. With a content smile, she read a book on her front steps. She stood as we approached her smile fading as she saw her sons' faces.

"What'd you do this time?" She sighed.

"Nothing," Liam growled.

Still sour from his remark I answered for them, "They created general chaos, and nearly got beat up by two bullies."

"Come inside now Liam, Noah, "Natalie herded her children into the flat, "Thanks again Will, and you too Nico."

Natalie closed the front door, and we stood in silence. Quietly, the roar of pedestrians and cars echoed through the lane.

"Now what?" I asked, "Wanna get that hotel room?"

With a grin he turned and walked down the lane, "We certainly could use a shower."


End file.
